SPRINGDALE, Md. — A Maryland man is facing charges of manslaughter and assault following the shooting death of his roommate in their Springdale home. Richard Bennaugh, 38, allegedly shot and killed 26-year-old Domonique Scott Hayes during an altercation over the TV remote control, according to court documents obtained by local news outlets.
The incident took place on the morning of Jan 10, when Bennaugh claims he woke up to Scott Hayes making a lot of noise in the kitchen. Scott Hayes then yelled and asked for the location of the TV remote, prompting Bennaugh to ignore him. However, the situation escalated when Scott Hayes walked behind the sofa and demanded the remote. Bennaugh alleges that he found Scott Hayes holding two large knives, which led him to grab his gun and point it at his roommate.
Initially, Scott Hayes backed off, but then he allegedly told Bennaugh that he wouldn’t shoot. Bennaugh responded by saying, “There’s only one way to find out,” and opened fire when Scott Hayes approached him, according to Bennaugh’s statement to the police. Scott Hayes ran to his room on the third floor, but Bennaugh, seeing bullet holes but no blood, believed that he hadn’t actually shot him and went back to sleep.
After the incident, Bennaugh reportedly went to a friend’s house to discuss what happened, then visited a marijuana dispensary to buy marijuana. He returned home, flushed the fired bullet casings down the toilet, and swept the dust from the damaged walls.
Bennaugh admitted to telling several people about the shooting, who urged him to call 911. Police responded to the scene at around 12:30 p.m., finding Scott Hayes dead in his bedroom with knives in his hands and waistband.
Bennaugh is currently being held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on February 9. It is unclear if he has obtained an attorney at this time.